AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER

The Man I Married, July 15th, 1945

The father of my wonderful children

Late 60's The children are

leaving the nest

We celebrated 50 years together
God gave us 10 1/2 more.

Everything that happened in those 60 1/2
went through the Office in Heaven

and stamped "Approved"

50 Years

How blessed the one who can walk this journey

with a light grip on everything.
For all will be released, sooner or later
and I wish to practice now, moment by moment
------- the letting go ---------

As you know, Leonard was in California running

a Standard Oil Station the last two years that I

was in School. During those days, and after he came

back to help build the world's most famous city, Oak

Ridge, where he was a policeman and directed traffic

from a large wooden box in the middle of dusty and

muddy intersections. There were many letters that

went to and fro at .02 a piece. This has been a very

sad week for me. I have read 650 letters and burned

650 letters. He wanted no part of that, when I ask him

a few months before he left me, no, no. no. However he

did agree that once one of us was gone, the other could

do that. I would just love for every one of my grand-
children and great-grandchildren to read them and to

know just what love really is. Every letter sincere, humble,

every letter precious and with much dignity. There was

not a promise or a statement in any of his 400 letters that

he did not keep. He honored me, loved me, was true and

faithful to me for over 64 years. On 9/6/43 from San

Meguel, Calif, he wrote, "I HAVE YOUR HEART HERE

WITH ME, AND YOU WILL HAVE A HARD TIME -EVER-

GETTING IT BACK. , You mean everything to me. wap

- -whisper a prayer"--

On 12/20/43 from Santa Maria, Calif. he wrote:

"If I could hold you in my arms 5 minutes I could tell if you still

loved me. Darling, I have wanted lots of things, but never

wanted anything bad enough to fight for them. But

something has come up now that I want so damn bad that
I'm going to fight for it until I draw my last breath, because

Life would not mean a thing without you sharing it with me."

On 8/29/45, while at work at the Police Station in Oak

Ridge, or out in the patrol car he wrote "Even though I am
away from you 9 hours a day I miss you. The past five weeks
have been very dear to me. Just like I expect Heaven will be

I never knew I would be so happy and my life so complete.
The word-love- grows bigger every day and Darling, you can

cook OK, just like I like it. Did you -wap- for me today, I'll
need it if I get caught writing a love letter. Always, your Husband.